In the games

Role

Silver first appears in the Generation II games, lurking outside of Professor Elm's lab, looking through the window. When talked to, he will deny everything and push the player away. During the player's journey to Mr. Pokémon's house, Silver makes his move, stealing one of Elm's two remaining starter Pokémon (coincidentally always the one that is strong against the player's choice). He will meet with the player on the outskirts of Cherrygrove City, battling to get through. A policeman will later ask for the name of the rival, and the rival will be called the name the player gives for the rest of the game.

Silver shows a strong dislike of Team Rocket. He considers them to be weak, and vows to take them, as well as any other weak Trainer, down. He steals a Sneasel from a Trainer in Cianwood City and while Ethan/Kris/Lyra attempts to take down Team Rocket in Mahogany Town and Goldenrod City, he interferes to prove himself. It is in the Mahogany hideout that he meets with Lance, Champion of the Elite Four at Indigo Plateau. Silver challenges Lance and is easily defeated by the dragon Trainer, who then proceeds to berate Silver for his callous ways towards training Pokémon. Though Silver is outraged for losing to someone with such an attitude, the loss and Lance's words ultimately set him on the path to becoming a better person. When Team Rocket takes over the Goldenrod Radio Tower, Silver first blows the player's Team Rocket disguise, unaware of the player's plan to sneak in by pretending to be a member of Team Rocket. He later follows the player to the Goldenrod underground and they battle Team Rocket, hoping that Lance will reappear and he can request a rematch.

By the time the player reaches Indigo Plateau, Silver battles against the player not out of malice, but to prove that he is a good Trainer. He is defeated and departs to continue training. The player battles Silver on Mt. Moon, and though he loses he claims he can feel his Pokémon getting stronger, and resolves to train at Dragon's Den. When battled the seventh time at Indigo Plateau, Silver seems to have finally learned to care for his Pokémon properly, as his Golbat has evolved to Crobat, which only occurs when Golbat is very friendly. This is further expressed in Generation IV when his starter Pokémon starts to follow him around, much like the player's Pokémon; Professor Elm even expressly states that Silver's Pokémon have come to trust him when Silver returns to the lab, presumably to return the starter he stole.

Following Silver's final encounter with the player and after the player has become Champion, Silver can be found training on Tuesday and Thursday in the Dragon's Den, where he cannot be battled, and will appear at Indigo Plateau on Monday and Wednesday to challenge the player to a battle, should he or she appear. He does not appear at all on Friday or the weekends, indicating that he may in fact take the day off, resting his Pokémon. In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Lance and Clair will appear in the Dragon's Den and challenge the player and Silver to a Tag Battle following the battle at Mt. Moon giving him the chance to avenge his loss from earlier.

In terms of personality, Silver is the darkest of the rivals in the series. While most other rivals are generally good-natured, or at least zestful enough to crack a joke at the player, Silver is (at first) cruel, hateful, power-obsessed and even physically abusive, pushing the player character around several times. Even after he starts to become kinder, he remains a rather serious individual. He does, however, express genuine happiness when Elm allows him to keep the Pokémon he stole.

Giovanni and Silver's relationship is revealed in HeartGold and SoulSilver when a fateful encounterCelebi is brought to Ilex Shrine. Celebi takes the player back in time three years to witness Giovanni abandoning Silver to go into seclusion because of his defeat at the hands of Red. Silver's hate for Team Rocket apparently stems from the failure of his father.

Pokémon

The starter Pokémon that Silver has will depend on which Pokémon the player chose to bring on Professor Elm's errand at the beginning of the game. As with most rivals, it will be the Pokémon whose type weakens that of the player's starter.

"… …Humph! He claims to be the Elder but he's weak. It stands to reason. I'd never lose to fools who babble about being nice to Pokémon. I only care about strong Pokémon that can win. I really couldn't care less about weak Pokémon.

"…Tell me something. Is it true that Team Rocket has returned? What? You beat them? Hah! Quit lying. You're not joking? Then let's see how good you are."

After being defeated

"… Humph! Useless Pokémon! Listen, you. You only won because my Pokémon were weak."

After battle

"I hate the weak. Pokémon, trainers. It doesn't matter who or what. I'm going to be strong and wipe out the weak. That goes for Team Rocket too. They act big and tough in a group. But get them alone, and they're weak. I hate them all. You stay out of my way. A weakling like you is only a distraction."

"…… …… …… …Oh, it's you. You wanted to get stronger, so you came for the legendary Pokémon that's supposed to be here. That's your story, right? Well, that's not going to happen. Because I'm going to get it! I'm going to be the world's greatest trainer, so a legendary Pokémon would be perfect for me. …Well, anyway. I'm getting tired of having a wimp like you always showing up."GS

"…… …… …… …Oh, it's you. I came looking for some legendary Pokémon that they say roosts here. But there's nothing here! Nothing after all the trouble of coming to this dump? No way! It's all your fault!"C

After being defeated

"…Humph! This is why I hate battling wimps. There's no challenge in it."

After battle

"…Aw, whatever. You would never be able to catch a legendary Pokémon anyway.GSC"

" Humph! What are you doing falling into a hole? Some genius you are! Serves you right!"C

"… You again? There's no need to panic. I don't bother with wimps like you. Speaking of weaklings, the city's Gym Leader isn't here. Supposedly taking care of a sick Pokémon at the Lighthouse. Humph! Boo-hoo! Just let sick Pokémon go! A Pokémon that can't battle is worthless! Why don't you go train at the Lighthouse? Who knows. It may make you a bit less weak!"

"… Didn't I tell you that I was going to destroy Team Rocket? …Tell me, who was the guy in the cape who used dragon Pokémon? My Pokémon were no match at all. I don't care that I lost. I can beat him by getting stronger Pokémon. It's what he said that bothers me… He told me that I don't love and trust my Pokémon enough. I'm furious that I lost to a bleeding heart like him. …Humph! I don't have the time for the likes of you!"

"Hold it! I saw you, so I tailed you. I don't need you underfoot while I take care of Team Rocket. …Wait a second. You beat me before, didn't you? That was just a fluke. But I repay my debts!"

After being defeated

"…Why… Why do I lose? I've assembled the toughest Pokémon. I didn't ease up on the gas. So why do I lose?"

After battle

"…I don't understand… Is what that Lance guy said true? That I don't treat Pokémon properly? Love… Trust… Are they really what I lack? Are they keeping me from winning? I… I just don't understand. But it's not going to end here. Not now. Not because of this. I won't give up my dream of becoming the world's best Pokémon trainer!"

"Hold it. …Are you going to take the Pokémon League challenge? …Don't make me laugh. You're so much weaker than I am. I'm not like I was before. I now have the best and strongest Pokémon with me. I'm invincible! <player>! I challenge you!"

After being defeated

"…I couldn't win… I gave it everything I had… What you possess, and what I lack… I'm beginning to understand what that dragon master said to me…"

After battle

"…I haven't given up on becoming the greatest trainer… I'm going to find out why I can't win and become stronger…. When I do, I will challenge you. And I'll beat you down with all my power. …Humph! You keep at it until then."

"…… …… …… It's been a while, <player>. …Since I lost to you, I thought about what I was lacking with my Pokémon... And we came up with an answer. <player>, now we'll show you!"

After being defeated

"…… …… …… I thought I raised my Pokémon to be the best they could be... ...But it still wasn't enough..."

After battle

"…… …… …… …You won, fair and square. I admit it. But this isn't the end. I'm going to be the greatest Pokémon Trainer ever. Because these guys are behind me. …Listen, <player>. One of these days I'm going to prove how good I am by beating you."

"… …Humph! He calls himself the Elder, but he was no match for me. Sure enough, those who lecture how you should be "nice" to Pokémon… They cannot defeat me. All I care about are strong Pokémon that win every time. The rest of them don't mean anything to me."

"…Tell me something. Is it true that Team Rocket has returned? What? You beat them? Hah! Quit lying. Are you serious? Then let's see how good you are."

Sending out last Pokémon

"Say, you've got a lot of nerve, coming here…"

Last Pokémon low on HP

"That's ridiculous. There's no way I could lose to a wimp like you!"

After being defeated

"… Humph! Useless Pokémon! Listen, you. You only won because my Pokémon were weak."

After battle

"I hate the weak. Pokémon, Trainers. It doesn't matter who or what. I hate to see them hanging around. That goes for Team Rocket, too. They think they are big and tough as long as they are in a group. But get them alone, and they're weak. I hate them all. You stay out of my way. You won't be an exception if you get in my way."

"……………… ……Oh, it's you. You must be here to catch the legendary Pokémon to make yourself look strong. That is only a dream. You see, the legendary Pokémon suits a Trainer like me who has sworn to become the strongest Trainer. A battle with Team Rocket Grunts is just right for you!"

Sending out last Pokémon

"Out of desperation, weak people sometimes do OK at fighting back."

Last Pokémon low on HP

"Don't you get that I'm going easy on you?"

After being defeated

"…Humph! I'm not fighting with another weakling ever again. It's just too much playing around."

After battle

"…Aw, whatever. You would never be able to catch a legendary Pokémon anyway."

"… You again? There's no need to be alert. I don't bother with wimps like you. Speaking of weaklings, the city's Gym Leader isn't here, and is supposedly taking care of a sick Pokémon at the Lighthouse. Humph! Boo-hoo! Just let sick Pokémon go! A Pokémon that can't battle is worthless! Why don't you go train at the Lighthouse? Who knows? It may make you a bit of a better Trainer!"

"… So you are messing with them again. Humph, you must really like Team Rocket so much. … Tell me, who was the guy in the cape who used Dragon-type Pokémon? My Pokémon were no match at all. I don't care that I lost. I can beat him by getting stronger Pokémon. It's what he said that bothers me… He told me that I don't love and trust my Pokémon enough. I'm furious that I lost to a bleeding heart like him. …Humph! I don't have time for the likes of you!"

"Hey Team Rocket! Stop going around in groups and troubling people. You cowards! …Huh? Are you <player>? What are you doing here? No way… You think you're strong now that you look like them? That's foolish! You shouldn't wear those things!"

After battling the Team Rocket Grunt

"I see. You were trying to be sneaky… Huh! A typical idea of the meek! No matter. I'll let you handle this. I have to defeat the Dragon Tamer… What's his name…? Lance! After that… it will be your turn. Be ready for it!"

In the Goldenrod underground

Before battle

"Hold it! What I told you before was to deceive you. I thought it would let me tail you, and it would lead me to Lance. Well, he never showed up. …No matter. I was planning to beat you after Lance, but since you are here, I will repay my debts!"

After first hit

"Hey, hey!"

Sending out last Pokémon

"Why so serious?"

Last Pokémon low on health

"…Why…"

After defeat

"Why do I lose? I've assembled the toughest Pokémon. I haven't eased up on the gas. So why do I lose? …I don't understand. Is what that Lance guy said true? That I don't treat Pokémon properly? Love… Trust… Are they really what I lack? Are they keeping me from winning? I… I just don't understand. But it's not going to end here. Not now. Not because of this. I won't give up my dream of becoming the world's best Pokémon Trainer!"

"How…? How is this possible? How can I lose to mere Kimono Girls…? You were watching me, <player>… Yeah, that's right! I never thought defeating five Kimono Girls would be so hard… I got beaten to a pulp… … Don't get cocky just because you defeated Team Rocket! These Kimono Girls are insanely strong. Go ahead! But I'm not going back. I don't want to see you win."

"Hold it. ...Are you going to challenge the Pokémon League? Victory Road is at its end, for sure. But did you notice...? You didn't see any real Trainers on the way, did you? Man, they were all spineless! Well, the fact that you have come this far means you're not one of them. But! Your journey ends here! Because... right here, right now... I will crush you!

During battle, sending out last Pokémon

"I see. Seems like it wasn't just luck that's gotten you this far."

During battle, last Pokémon low on health

"Humph! You were too strong..."

After defeat

...I couldn't win... I gave it everything I had... What you possess and what I lack, I'm beginning to understand what that Dragon tamer said to me..."

Before leaving

"..........I haven't given up on becoming the greatest Trainer... I'm going to find out why I can't win and become stronger... When I do, I will challenge you. I'll beat you down with all my power. ...Humph! You keep at it until then."

"You told me... you were the number one in the world! Are you gonna quit? What are you going to do now?"

"What aspect of you was number one? Gathering so many only to be defeated by a mere child!"

"I don't understand you! You don't make any sense!"

"I don't want to understand you! I will never become someone like you. A coward when you're alone and acting like a tyrant when you're in front of other cowards! I will become strong! I will become a stronger man all by myself! All by myself!"

"Hey, <player>! You're here in Kanto, too? Some of the Trainers here are tough, which makes it easy to train my Pokémon! <player>! I know you are strong... But... I can't help but challenge you!"

During battle, sending out last Pokémon

"I see. You weren't coming to Kanto just to show off..."

During battle, last Pokémon low on health

"I see you weren't playing around, either..."

After defeat

"Humph! I guess it can't be helped..."

Before leaving

"My training's still not good enough...? My Pokémon are so weak, it makes me frustrated... But I can feel that they are getting better after each battle... .................. Tch! They're still too weak! I need to give them more training... I know! I should take them to Dragon's Den! See ya, <player>!"

"...What? Are you here to make fun of my training? Humph! I took my time coming all the way here, but the Master won't tell me anything, and he's making a big deal out of it... So I decided to train my Pokémon here instead."

"Hold it. You're going to take the Pokémon League challenge now? You'll have to give up on that. My well-trained-beyond-recognition Pokémon are going to pound you. Right now, right here! I challenge you!"

During battle, sending out last Pokémon

"Why?! I've still got one left!"

During battle, last Pokémon low on health

"Do you think you've won already?"

After defeat

"... OK. I lost..."

Before leaving

"...Oh, no... I still can't win after all that training... I...I have to believe more in my Pokémon... ...No big deal. Sorry to have got in the way. Don't forget to rest your Pokémon before you challenge the Champion!"

Counterparts

Silver in the anime

Like Brendan, Lucas and Ethan, he played no role in the anime, despite being a main character in the games. Similarly, his only appearance in the anime is a brief cameo, in the original Japanese opening of The Legend of Thunder! (A New Oath), where he was shown defeating Jimmy with his Nidoking, only to be defeated later on when Jimmy's Cyndaquil evolves into Typhlosion.

While Silver did not appear in the main series of the anime, he was considered by much of the fandom to have a close counterpart in the character of Paul, who was Ash's main rival throughout the Diamond & Pearl series. Like Silver, Paul believed in raising the power of his Pokémon through harsh training as opposed to forming a trusting relationship which put him at odds with Ash throughout the series. Also, Paul's official art shows him in the same pose as Silver does in one of his official artwork by Ken Sugimori.

His counterpart in the Pokémon Adventures manga is also named Silver. They share several similarities, such as stealing a starter from Professor Elm, in the manga's case, Totodile, owning a Sneasel, and being Giovanni's son, a factor which actually originated in this canon.

Trivia

Concept art depicting Silver

A 1997 pamphlet describing Gold and Silver mentions that the rival character lives in the same town as the protagonist. This aspect of his character was apparently discarded by the time of the final release, as his hometown was not elaborated upon in the games and it is implied to not be New Bark Town since he seems unfamiliar with Professor Elm's lab at the beginning of the game.

In Generation IV, Silver is depicted with two different eye colors. His eyes are gray in his Generation IV artwork while they are red in the HeartGold and SoulSilver games, as seen in the opening animation.

In the original Gold, Silver, and Crystal games, when battled at Indigo Plateau the Champion theme is played instead of his rival theme.

The English script of the Celebi event in HeartGold and SoulSilver never states that Silver is Giovanni's son, unlike the Japanese script.

Silver has achieved a high score of 2000 at Pal Park, which serves as the default high score.

In the original games, Silver's Croconaw is underleveled in the second battle - it is at Lv. 16, though Totodile doesn't evolve into Croconaw until Lv. 18, a case different from Quilava/Feraligatr/Meganium below. This is fixed in the remakes, where his starter is at Lv. 18 for that battle.

In HeartGold and SoulSilver, during the battle that takes place within the Goldenrod Tunnel, if Silver has Quilava, his entire team is two levels higher than if he had Meganium or Feraligatr. This is to compensate for the fact that Silver's Quilava isn't fully evolved during this battle, unlike his Meganium and Feraligatr. This starter-dependent level change does not occur in the original Gold and Silver.

Silver is the only rival whose team does not change in accordance to his starter, nor does he have any types that cover for his starter's initial type.

Names

Silver is almost universally used in the fandom as the official name for this character, since it is his default name (the name the game chooses when the player doesn't enter a name of his own) in Gold and Crystal, and is also his name in placeholder data in HeartGold and SoulSilver. However, his default name differs on other games, and he's also named Gold (in Silver), Soul (in HeartGold), and Heart (in SoulSilver). Of course, he can be called almost anything, since his name is chosen by the player.